FILDI

It's been a rough week but I keep reminding myself that most of life is a choice.

The difference between a good day and a bad day is whether you choose to focus on the fact that you hacked the shit out of your pinky finger with a mandoline and it's throbbing or the fact that you're lucky to be sitting in your fat boy leather chair in your home office waiting for the sound of your children's bus bringing them home to you.

And in my experience the choice is self perpetuating.  On the days I choose to smile at strangers in New York City - even though it would feel more comfortable to put my head down and plow forward like most people do - on those days, strangers give me flowers and cab drivers tell me that their entire day changed when they saw me put my arm in the air and hail them - because until then it had been a slow day and my hail meant their day was looking up.

Funny.  SO funny because on that day it had just started raining and I put my arm in the air in a desperate attempt to stay dry.  And when he told me how HAPPY he was to see me, I cried out, "I felt the SAME WAY about you!"

And we both laughed.

And then later I saw this video and it reminded me that success and happiness are choices.  Sometimes we don't hail them because we are scared and sometimes because we are tired.

But when we raise our hand and hail success and happiness, sometimes they are just as happy to see us as we are to see them!

  

Comments

[Steve]

Oh I am so glad you were brought into my life. Thank you for the smile.

[Amanda]

I find that too! On the days I make an effort to be fabulous and gracious to everyone on the street, I have a fabulous day.

For example- typical teenage child asked me for $1 for his bus fare, usually I ignore these people (most are scams!) but I gave him $2. On the bus home, I heard him praying, and thanking me. It made me happy.

[Sarah M]

Thank you for the blog and for sharing An Invocation for Beginnings - that blew my a$$ out of my chair. Just what I needed!

[Katie]

This is exactly what I needed this morning!

[Mae]

Ok, ok, time to pull myself out of this funk and get on with it. Thank you as always. Tomorrow I will smile at strangers just because :)

[Everythingbugs]

Well aren't you just a ray of f*cking sunshine? KIDDING! I love it and I love you.

x

[Marta]

That video was inspiring but strange. Lets go with strangely inspiring.

[eccentricess]

FILDI - just that phrase makes me want to get up and (eat cheese) get started!

[Charlotte]

Forever an inspiration :) I was about to give up on something (I am definitely tired!) but FILDI one more time! :)

[Nisha]

Just as I was wondering how things were going to fall into place for my next semester at college (during which I will turn 33), I wondered if the choice to go back to school was really worth it. If the sleepless nights, exhaustion, and the work, oh the work, would all be worth finishing what I started 13 years ago. Apparently FILDI will get me through another semester, and another few after that. :)

[A Facebook User]

I love the idea that life is self-perpetuating. I mean, I have days where the whole world and happenstance seem stacked against me. But the rest of the time, if I can keep smiling, keep giving people the benefit of the doubt, it warms my heart and sometimes, theirs too. It makes my life more pleasant and less stressful!

Great video. It's this beautiful combination of self-love and self-grace, and getting up and finally starting things. I need to have that on every morning because it's packed with great reminders.

Love your blog! You make me laugh. :)

[Missa]

I need to smile at strangers more. I pretty much ignore everyone since they just gawk at my kid. @staycationmama